Revelers
make their rounds to 12 pubs in the Irish capital and guzzle a pint
of a little more than just eggnog at each.

SponzaPalace, Dubrovnik, Croatia

The
1,000-year-old city on the Adriatic Sea becomes a scene right out of a storybook
starting on St. Lucy’s Day (Dec. 13). The SponzaPalace
at the edge of OldTown’s walls hosts local
artisans, musical performances, a cappella singers and traditional dance.

"George Balanchine’s 'The Nutcracker,' " Manhattan

A
holiday traditions in the Big Apple is seeing the New York Cityperform the ate choreographer George Balanchine's version of "The
Nutcracker,"at
Lincoln Center, from the day after Thanksgiving toJan. 2.

North Pole, Alaska

This
biggest attraction in this actual hamlet
in Alaska is Santa Claus House, a Christmas-themed gift shop
with tons of ornaments, a 42-foot-tall Santa Claus statue and real reindeer you
can visit.

Reykjavik, Iceland (shown at the top of this post... but in a warmer
season)

Visitthe ChristmasVillage in Hafnarfjordur or Reykjavik's main Christmas market in Ingólfstorg Square
for traditional Nordic holiday gifts, mulled wine and yuletide music. Don’t
miss the northern lights that illuminate the sky this time of year.

SantaClausVillage, Rovaniemi, Finland

Rovaniemi,
is a popular place in December where you can meet Santa Claus in his office, visit
his post office and take a sleigh ride with
traditional Sami reindeer.

Skating by the Sea, San Diego

Ice-skate
by the Pacific Ocean at on the lawn rink
of San Diego’s
landmark Hotel del Coronado. Skating sessions are offered daily from
Thanksgiving throughJan.
4. San
Diego’s mild weather makes it easy for families to
pair holiday festivities with the area’s kid-friendly attractions and
activities.

Santa Claus, Ind.

The
town's family-owned amusement park, Holiday
World, gets more than one million patrons annually and boasts three impressive
wooden roller coasters.

John Bordsen

About this blog

John Bordsen is the long-time travel editor of The Charlotte Observer. Before moving to Charlotte in 1989, he lived in Wisconsin, Missouri, Kansas and Indiana. His articles and his "Foreign Correspondence" column -- interviews with people who live in countries you may want to visit, or are curious about -- are distributed nationally via the Tribune News Service.